Kroger Co , the biggest U.S. supermarket chain reported higher quarterly net profit as robust sales eased worries that higher food prices would cause shoppers to reel in spending.

Kroger's net income was $280.8 million, or 46 cents per share, for the second quarter, ended August 13, up from $261.6 million, or 41 cents per share, a year earlier.

Excluding certain tax adjustments, earnings for the quarter would have been 41 cents per share.

Cincinnati-based Kroger increased its full-year growth forecast for closely watched identical supermarket sales on healthy second-quarter results, but repeated its call for full-year earnings at the top end of the range of $1.85 per share to $1.95 per share.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein, editing by Dave Zimmerman)